1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel supply system component protective construction, and, more specifically, relates to a protective construction for a fuel supply component, which is contained within an engine compartment at the front of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In relation to a fuel supply system component protective construction, there is disclosed, for example in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-6-280710 (JP-A-6-280710), a fuel system member fitting construction which prevents a fuel system member such as a fuel filter or the like provided within an engine compartment from being damaged during a collision. In this technology described in JP-A-6-280710, a fuel filter and a battery within an engine compartment are arranged with a certain gap between them. A protector is provided to the fuel filter, and surrounds the fuel filter. A wedge shaped projection is formed upon the protector, which projects towards the battery.
In the technology described in JP-A-6-280710, if during a vehicle collision the battery is pushed backward towards the fuel filter, the rear wall portion of the battery is destroyed by the wedge shaped projection, so that the shock upon the fuel filter is mitigated. However, sometimes the battery continues to shift towards the fuel filter even after it has collided with the protector, depending upon the magnitude of the shock which is generated during the collision. In this case, it is difficult to protect the fuel filter in an appropriate manner, since there is a possibility that the protector which has pressed upon the battery may damage the fuel filter.